He could submit the request again, with the alteration proposed by Castillo. Or he could assume permission, given that the proximity to Earth had been a major theme in the refusal.

Unbelievable. It was as if no one else took the threat seriously. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Moore picked up his tablet and went back to the report from the Gambit.

The report included a good deal of routine data, but some observations about the rock’s surface were puzzling. Moore sat up straighter in his chair and paged back and forth a few times. Then he buzzed Bentley.

“Sir?”

“Bentley, any supporting documents to go along with what you’ve given me?”

“Erm, some images and raw footage, sir, but all the text has been forwarded as is.”

“See if there are any images of the equipment scarring on the rock’s surface. Forward anything you find to me immediately.”

“Aye, sir.”

Moore turned off the intercom and sat back, staring into space. Piton holes. Drag marks from cabling. Chemical discoloration, possibly from burning rocket fuel nearby. Why would the Mad Astra have attached RIVAs to the rock?

He attached a list of questions for follow-up.

46.Press Release

46.Press Release

Ivan turned to the channel that Dr. Narang had suggested, adjusted the volume, and tossed the remote onto his bedside table. The Vid showed a couple of talking heads discussing their predictions about the President’s upcoming address.

Picking up the remote, Ivan muted the Vid. He’d never understood why Vid people needed to tell you what you were about to see, tell you what you were seeing, then tell you what you’d just seen. Maybe they were paid by the word.

He closed his eyes for a moment and extended his senses. Nanites formed thin lines around the walls, floor, and ceiling of his room. Another line extended itself toward the airlock. He could vaguely sense the outlines of the corridor through the nanites.

The doctors and technicians were watching carefully for any attempted breakout of nanites, of course, but they weren’t set up to detect wandering nanites that politely kept to his side of the airlock. By this point, Ivan had every corner of the isolation ward covered by nanite surveillance. He was reluctant to cross that last line in the sand, lest he bring down the military on him. It was a safe bet they had a contingency plan, and it probably wasn’t pleasant.

However, if it got to the point where Ivan needed to leave in a hurry, he would be prepared.

Ivan looked up as the President of the United Earth Nations came on screen, the UEN symbol emblazoned behind him. He quickly un-muted the Vid. The President played with something on the lectern—probably a tablet with his speech notes—then looked straight into the camera.

My fellow citizens.